


A bright light in the dark

by Onceuponadarkflower



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Evil panda is coming, F/F, Lots of struggling with identities, Sassy Regina makes a comeback, The two idiots finally realise how they feel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-06-02 10:19:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19439452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onceuponadarkflower/pseuds/Onceuponadarkflower
Summary: When the world around you is dark, the one bright light in your life is so much easier to find. As the new Dark One, might Regina finally realise her feelings for Emma? While also accepting the new and yet familiar darkness within? SwanQueen.





	1. Tempation

“No.”

My answer hangs determined in the air between us. The black storming around me makes a terrible noise, but I make sure they can all hear me.

“Regina, I-“

“My answer is no, Emma. I will do this, because no one else can.”

Surprisingly, the darkness doesn’t feel cold when it slivers along my body. It is a comfortable temperature, it almost feels soft. Like an embrace my body remembers, welcoming me back into the dark. Did you miss it? The power? The control? The … fear? Or maybe I am scared. Scared to lose what I’ve built in the last couple of years. The friends and family I have gained. All gone because I am a suitable host to darkness. I was when I was Queen, and now I will be again. 

The storm around seems to start moving faster, until my view of others is obscured by the black.

-

Within seconds she’s gone. Leaving behind nothing but the dagger and emptiness. My eyes are still fixed on the spot she was a minute ago.

“This can’t be happening. What are we going to do?” 

Snow sounds distressed, but not in concern for Regina’s wellbeing. I can imagine her train of thought. What will we tell the others? Will we have to look for her? Is she the Evil Queen again? My own mind fills with worry, pity, fear. Not fear of who she might become, but fear of losing who she was. My best friend.

“We don’t have to do anything. We just summon her.” Robin steps forward, grabbing the dagger. Instinctively, I stalk towards him. 

“Give it to me. You are too upset to be holding that right now.” Blue eyes meet green eyes. His grip on the dagger tightens.

“She is my girlfriend Emma. I think I am the only one who should be holding this.” He turns away from me, raising his arm up to the night sky.

“Dark One, I summon thee!” In the moonlight, I can see the name glinting on the blade. Regina. Her last name isn’t there. Nothing that connects her to Henry anymore. Or to me.

“Dark One, I summon thee!” Robin sounds more desperate the second time.

“What is wrong? Why isn’t she coming? I thought we could summon her from any corner of the world.”

“Well, it that’s true, then I guess she isn’t in this world anymore,'' I reply. The realisation fills my stomach with dread. Robin looks at me.

“So where is she?”

-

I groan as I open my eyes. The light blinds me, and only worsens the banging headache I have. I am lying flat on my back, surrounded by trees. 

Get up.

I pull myself up in a second. What the- I look around, scanning my surroundings. Trees. Very perceptive. My feet are bare, but do not feel the grass I see on most of the ground. What I am standing on feels like iron, and is engraved with symbols strange to even me. Whatever it is, it summoned me here, wherever that may be.

Start walking.  
Find food.

I snap my head up, looking for the source of the voices. I carefully move from the iron plate, heading in a random direction. I do not notice anyone, but as I start moving I feel eyes prying into my back. After I turned around, I stare into the face of someone I didn’t expect to see.

“Rumplestiltskin.”

Wrong, but can we blame you? We do look like him. Funny, how the mind sees what it wants to see.

“What is this? What are you talking about?”

We are many, and yet one. One mind, one goal. 

Rumplestiltskin starts pacing around, and more figures start to appear. Old, young, male, female or indistinguishable from either gender. A cold wave washes over my body when the realisation sets in. Dark Ones. They are all past Dark Ones. I look at them, all different. They are looking at me, scanning me from head to toe. They are judging me? 

You understand. Good. The less time spent on this, the more time we can spend on what is really important.

Rumplestiltskin is still the only one talking. I wonder if I should continue talking to him. Would that speed up the process of becoming the Dark One? Probably. Thoughts that aren’t really mine worming into my head. Losing the ability to tell the difference between real or fake, right or wrong.

“And what do you mean when you say really important?” I arch my eyebrow, giving Rumplestiltskin/The Dark One a disinterested look. 

Why, what you really want, of course! What you wanted for so long, revenge! Revenge on the heroes who took your beloved, who took your son!

I let out a deep sigh. “Really? That’s what you’re going with? I’m sorry, but that’s not gonna do it. I am over all that.”I turn around, and begin moving away from the figures.

You say that with such ease, your Majesty. But you know that’s not really true. 

I try to block out his reply. Maybe if I don’t give any thought to it, it will make it less true. Focus Regina. Priorities. I need to figure out where I am. It’s not the Enchanted Forest, but these aren’t the woods around Storybrooke either. I start walking a bit faster, not to shake of the inevitable train of figures following me, but the fact that I do not know where I am frightens me. Though I’d never admit it, being in a situation I do not control makes me anxious. A remainder of the days I lived as the Evil Queen, constantly looking over my shoulder. 

A road.  
Get off it.  
People might see you.  
If they do, kill them.

The voices pull me out of my train of thought. Now multiple voices were talking, voicing different opinions. Great. I take in my surroundings. I am indeed standing on a road, but it is not paved. I see horse prints in the sand, which makes me suspect I am in the realm where I was born. The road stretches out into the woods in both directions, without revealing where it leads in either way. I decide to start walking one way, it doesn’t matter where I end up. As long as I can figure a way home from there.

Horse.  
A cart!  
Stop them.  
Ask him the way.  
No! Force it out of him!  
Steal the horse.  
And the cart!

I turn around, the figures behind me making way for the approaching vehicle. It is a simple cart, with a man on the front holding the reigns of a beautiful hazelnut horse. They come riding closer, and just as I thought they were going to pass me by, the cart comes to a halt 5 meters down the road.  
“Ho!” the man exclaims to the horse. With a tug on the reigns the horse seizes his tread, and the man climbs of the front of his cart. After checking everything is secure, he looks at me. 

“Excuse milady, are you in need of assistance?” he asks walking towards me. He is in his mid forties, I guess, and is wearing clothes I would expect in the Enchanted Forest. Wonderful. I am in a different realm.

“I mean, not to interfere in any business ‘course, but you don’t look like you’ve had an easy journey.” I am about to give him a look that might scare him away for good, but I stop myself. I look down, and realise I haven’t even given any thought to what I was wearing. It seems I am wearing a grey, scratchy dress, with an equally scratchy cloak. When I pull my hand through my hair, I get stuck on all of the knots in it. I have been wandering through the woods looking like a homeless person. I can feel the colour draining from my cheeks. 

“Woah, I didn’t mean ye don’t look nice! I mean, just a bit worn from travel”, the man stammers. I look back at him.

“It- It’s alright”, I manage to say. Really Regina. You have become the Dark One, whisked away to an unknown land, been followed by voices, and your appearance is what matters most.

How rude!  
Kill him!  
He insulted us!

I steady my breathing. “I have had a long journey indeed. But do not worry, I don’t need much help.” 

Torture him!  
To get the information.  
Crush his windpipe.  
Pull his limbs of.

I groan, which earns me a funny look from the man. Will you be quiet for once! The fact that the man doesn’t respond does confirm the fact that only I can see the figures. I don’t know if that’s a good thing.

“Can you simply tell me where I am?” That earns me an even funnier look. I suppose not many people wander through a land without knowing where they are.

“Erm, yes of course. That would be Camelot, milady! I was in fact just now in the capital. Where the palace is I mean.”

Camelot. You have to be kidding me. I pull a strand of hair from my face.

“Right, I see. So if I were to follow this road in the direction you came from, I would find myself walking towards the palace?”

“Right you are! Walk right into if you’d like.” He gives me a crooked grin. “But you can come with me of course, I’d love to take care of you.” I don’t miss the change in his tone. His eyes have become hungry with lust all of a sudden. I suddenly realise what he would usually do with a woman alone in the woods. I shudder at the thought. I have faced enough abuse to recognise an abuser when I see one. 

“Thank you, but I really must be going.” I start walking away from him, but I know he is not going to let me go. He grabs my upper arm, and in a reflex I yank myself free. He scowls, and tries to grab me again.

Pervert.  
Abuser.  
Rapist.  
Kill him.  
Kill him.  
Kill him.

As if my body is taken over, I blast him with my magic. The sheer force of it knocks me off my feet. This power… My blast sends him flying into the air, hitting a tree on the side of the road. As I stand up, brushing the dirt of my dress, I ignore the obvious cracking of his skull. If he is not dead yet, he might be very soon. I bite my lip, debating my options. Heal him, or leave him.

As I walk away, I notice the lack of guilt. After all, he did plan to abuse me. What I did was justice. He deserved it. Right?


	2. Stranger

I’ve been walking for what feels like hours. Even though I kept walking along the road in the same direction, it seems as if I’ve passed that same stone three times already. When I see it for the fourth time, I officially get suspicious. I halt.

“Why are we walking in circles?”

Rumplestiltskin appears before me. The Dark Ones had left me after about an hour, leaving me alone in the woods. At first I welcomed the quiet, but after a while I did start to feel lonely.

We are in Camelot. Nothing appears as it seems here. Around every corner another one. When you walk one path, you end up on another. It is impossible for a stranger to find their way in these woods.

Splendid. So I did walk in circles. I stretch my arms above me. I may be the Dark One, but I never enjoyed walking. I am a Queen for God's sake. I am still wearing the clothes I did when I arrived. I considered changing them, but I decided to set my vanity aside. Not without ease of course, but I think using a lot of magic right now won’t do me any good. I cannot feel any of the light magic I built up. Everything is dark. Plus, looking like a … peasant does keep me safe from thieves, and people in general might leave me alone.

“So what do you suggest we-, I do?” I catch myself, silently cursing. The figures speaking to me aren’t real. Rumple chuckles.

Why, we use magic of course! You know of some ways to navigate, but the easiest in Camelot is tracking down a Will o’ the wisp! 

“No. I am not using dark magic. We are doing this the old fashioned way. Show me a way without a wisp. Those cursed things never do exactly as they’re told.”

Very well. Perhaps next time.

I tilt my head. “Doubtful.”

Picture a tree. It’s a willow tree , hanging over a river. The riverbanks is blooming with lavender, as far as the eye can see. It is dawn.

I close my eyes and try to picture what he describes. I can feel the magic building up inside. Damn him. He’s going to transport me. Within a flash, we stand on the riverbank I pictured. It’s a beautiful sight, but all I can do is glare at the amused imp.

“You transported me. With dark magic.”

You did that yourself dearie. No matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to tap into your light magic anymore.

I know he is right, I can’t even feel it anymore. That light has been drowned in the dark. But luckily, the space around gets brighter by the minute. I take a moment to look around, appreciating nature’s sunrise. Rocinante loved riding at dawn. As did I. The sudden memory surprises me. I shake it off, no need to dwell on the past right now.

“Tell me imp, is there any other version of you I can talk to? You’re starting to annoy me.” Rumple bows his head, and then disappears. I get ready to protest, I don’t want to be completely alone! But before I can say a word, the figures that had been following me the evening before start reappearing.

I’ll teach you.  
No, let me.  
Please, I know the best ways of torture.  
I know how to make it look like suicide.  
I'll help you convince them to kill themselves.  
Nooo, let’s burn them all.

“Quiet, please! Stop!” I cry in vain. This is not what I wanted.

Draw and quarter!  
Cook them alive.  
And then eat them!  
Trample them with mighty beasts.  
Slice of their heads.  
Cut out their hearts.  
Or their brains.

I am surrounded by Dark Ones, each one uttering a crime worse than the one before them.  
Until one.

Or we just tempt. Seduce. Let them love you, until the bitter end.

I turn around, to look at the figure that said that. It seems a woman. Her voice sounded calm, calculated. Not nearly as impulsive as the others. She wears dark hair, in a low bun. Her skin is a glittery silver, her body concealed in a long dark cloak. She wears a slight smirk, but doesn’t appear unfriendly. It might be a risky choice, but she seems like a Dark One I could reason with. 

“What is your name?” I keep looking at her, trying to read any thoughts or emotions. Nothing. She has been doing this for a while.

I am Nimue. I am the first Dark One, and the last. I was so excited when we were able to touch you, Regina. The Evil Queen! How perfect you are. Beloved now by heroes, you will be able to blame any misbehaviour on me! Eternally innocent. How happy you must be. Able to enact revenge without being blamed.

When she speaks, she sounds like a purring cat. a soothing, trusting sound. A dangerous sound.

“The first Dark One? Well, I suppose I should say it is an honour to meet you. So you can tell me how the Dark One came to be?” Slowly, the other figures start disappearing. Nimue starts walking down the river, and I run a little to follow her tread. 

I could, but I will not. Maybe one day. But mind you, I do not usually interfere with new Dark Ones. For you however, I make an exception. Only the best is fit to train Regina Mills herself.

I scoff. “As if I need training. I have been doing the whole evil thing long before I was the Dark One.”

Yes. But who taught you then? Was it not Rumplestiltskin who taught the newlywed Queen everything? Was it not Rumplestiltskin who helped you cast the curse? And now, you possess both the power he taught you, and mine. As you noticed, it is a little bit more powerful than your own. You need my guidance. 

I think of the blast I used on that man yesterday. It felt incredible. 

“I suppose you’re right. But don’t expect me to be cooperative. I haven’t fallen that far yet.”

I realise. But it won’t take long for you to fall.

I choose to ignore that comment. No use in arguing with the demon in my head. Instead I focus on where we are. We have walked quite a bit since we started talking, leaving the willow behind us and heading back into the woods. We kept following the river, and I can see it disappear into the treeline. 

“So why are we here? What here is going to bring me home?” I ask Nimue. She chuckles softly.

Nothing here will bring you home your Majesty. We are not here for an object. We are here for her.

Nimue points at the treeline. I squint my eyes, and catch a glimpse of red. Red? I realise it is someone’s hair. There is a girl with red hair running through the woods. Is she chasing someone? Or something? 

Look closer. 

I sigh. With a wave of my hand I enhance my eyesight. There goes my goal to not use magic. I look again, the girl is wearing a green dress, her hair is curly. And she is following … a blue light. I gasp sharply.

“A wisp.”

Correct. 

“I told you, I will not use a wisp. Those buggers never do as they’re told.”

I heard you the first time. However, I doubt the girl knows that. What kind of hero would you be if you wouldn’t stop her from using that wisp?

I silently curse. The girl looked no older than 20, barely grown. She would never have enough experience to know what a wisp can do. The decision is easily made. The branches underneath my feet hurt when I start running, and I regret not changing clothes. 

“Hey! Hey you! You have to stop!” I scream at the girl. But she doesn’t appear to hear me. I am already out of breath. I don’t like to run. If you ever see me running, you should start to run as well because something is probably chasing me. Running is for peasants, not for a Queen. I stop to catch my breath, and realise I won’t be able to catch up to her. I give in to the temptation and poof myself to where she is now.

“Excuse me, can you stop running? We need to talk,” I say when I appear in front of her. She jumps into the air, her enormous hair bouncing with her. 

“Witch! Leave me alone, I need to catch that wisp!” She fires past me, continuing the hunt. She has a peculiar accent, something I only remember from when my mother would have Highland Lords visiting. The Highlands aren’t far from Camelot, if I remember my geography right. I poof myself again, this time behind her. I prepare to jump her, when she crashes into the ground.

“Yes! Gotcha, ya fast little thing!” She is holding a bag in her hand, now glowing with a dim blue light. Wow. She caught it. The girl stands up, brushing the sand and leaves off her dress. 

“Excuse me. I wasn’t done talking”, I calmly say. She spins around, suddenly pointing an arrow in my face.

Really, not checking to see if she has a weapon before jumping her? You are quite rusty my dear.

Nimue appears behind the girl, looking back and forth between her and me. She motions for me to continue talking. I look from her to the girl, and raise my hands in surrender.

“Easy there, I do not wish you any harm. I simply need to talk to you.” The girl squints her eyes in suspicion, but does lower her bow. I in turn lower my arms again.

“Allright, start talking witch. But make it quick.” 

“I need to warn you. That wisp you caught, is nothing more than a floating spell, that can take you where you need to go. But you need to be careful. The spell is anything but specific, and therefore the wisp might take you somewhere you did not intend it to.” I look at the girl as she debates my words.

“I know the things can be tricky, but why should I trust you? The last time I trusted a witch, it did not end well.” I can see hurt in her eyes. Probably another victim of dark magic, of a witch or wizard with wicked intentions. Like I once was. Like I am now.

“You don’t have to trust me, I just want you to think about what I said. I wasn’t born with these powers, I was recently cursed. And I plan to get rid of them.”

“Yeah, I know a thing or two about curses. I’m sorry to hear that.” The girl sets her bow to the ground, and raises her head. Her posture changes, her back straightens and she puffs out her chest. Royalty, or at least nobility, if she learned how to hold yourself like this.

“My name is Merida, Queen of the Highlands, leader of clan DunBroch.” So she is royalty, that makes things more complicated. I suddenly feel very aware of my appearance.

“My name is Regina, and I have had many titles, but none that matter right now. Will it suffice if I tell you I was once a Queen myself?” Merida laughs, and I smile because of it. 

“It will. Say, where are you headed right now Regina?”

“Not anywhere in particular, but something tells me it won’t do any harm if I walk with you for a while.” I await her reply. I am but a stranger to her, and I am sure she was taught not to trust someone she doesn’t know.

“I would welcome the company. Two pairs of eyes see more then one.” She swings her bow around her shoulder, and opens the bag.

“Please, I need you to take me to my brothers,” she whispers, and the wisp inside the bag starts glowing a vibrant blue. It fires up into the air, and disappears into the woods. 

“Come on, let’s go!” Merida starts running after it. Great. More running. 

Well, what are you waiting for?

“Easy for you to say, you are a hallucination!” I give Nimue a dirty look, magic myself some boots, and start running. Behind me, the sun is up completely, bathing the woods in green and gold. Even though my situation is far away from pleasant, the colours make me smile.


	3. Reunited

Emma and me saving Henry from the mines. Emma cutting down my apple tree. Emma bringing Henry that first night.

I groan. The memories of the first curse have been plaguing me the entire night. Merida had been following the wisp the entire, and by sundown my feet’s protest became too much. I managed to convince her to get a few hours of sleep, but I haven’t had any yet. I look up at the night sky. I tried counting stars, but that did not help either. We are sleeping without any means of a tent, an idea I detested from the first minute. Sleeping on the ground in a forest? I still shudder at the thought. So I absolutely believe that might be one of the reasons for my lack of dreams tonight.

Dark Ones do not need sleep. Rumple would abide his time with spinning. Perhaps you should find a hobby? What do you think of sowing?

I chuckle soft. Although Nimue is not someone I should trust, she is starting to feel like a friend. She is wearing a smile, happy her joke is appreciated. 

“Is it possible though? I mean, I would enjoy having a few hours a day without thought or interaction,” I whisper. Merida is asleep a few metres away, and I do not want to let her know about the voices in my head.

Yes, with concentration and practice you can enter a dreamlike state. But I shall give you one now, if you answer a question?

“You can do that?”

Yes. Tell me, why do you insist on staying with the girl? Why not take the wisp, or anything else and leave?

It is a question I have asked myself as well this night. And everytime I restart my train of thought, I come to the same conclusion.

“For some reason, I have something my mother lacked. My maternal instinct is absolutely not inherited from her side of the family. I don’t know the cause, but I have a weak spot for children. I had it for Snow, for I could not hurt while she was underage. I waited until she was at least 18 to kill her father. I had it for Hansel and Gretel, who I offered the world. Their rejection hurt me sincerely, but I understand them now. I have it for Henry, my precious little prince. I have it for Roland, I saved him from a flying monkey, putting myself in danger. And now I have it for this girl I barely know. It is a burden sometimes, but it is a trait I have come to love. She does not deserve to be on her own in these woods, the fate of her family in her hands. She is too young. ”

Nimue nods her head, satisfied with my answer. “I respect that. It is not often I encounter someone so passionate about what she loves. Tell me, is this why you have a weak spot for Emma Swan as well? Because she still acts like a child?” 

I scowl, and I toss a stone towards her. Unfortunately, it sores right through her. She is loudly laughing now, and with a wave of her hand she is gone. I can feel my eyes getting droopy. Seems she kept her word. 

-

Wake up. Wake up!

As I open my eyes, I can see Nimue’s face hanging above mine. As I come upright, she bounces around, disappearing and reappearing at an incredibly fast speed.

She left. The girl left.

I sit upright. The spot where Merida was sleeping, is vacant. All of her belongings are gone as well. Damn it. I was wrong to trust the girl. Now I am stuck in a forest I don’t know, without the wisp or any other means of navigation. I push myself up, pulling my hair out of my face. It is a big mess after sleeping on the ground, but right now it’s the least of my concerns. I start walking in a random direction.

I take a big breath. “Merida! Merida!?” 

What are you doing? Nimue trails behind me. 

“Merida!!!” I keep shouting for about 5 minutes, and just when I get to the point of giving up, I hear something.

“Regina?” 

-

I wrestle through the shrubbery. Damn this dress! If I would have had the time, I’d be in trousers by now. Unfortunately, the journey I have to take does not take me through a town. When I reach the open space we camped for the night, I can see Regina standing in the middle. When I encountered her yesterday, she frightened me. Bad experiences with witches have made me cautious. She struck me as powerful, fearless, and guiltless. The woman I can see now is afraid. She looks small, fragile. But still powerful. Still dangerous.

“I thought you left,” she says. I can hear reproach in her voice.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I went to go get some breakfast.” I show her the fruits I collected. It isn’t much, but it’s all I could find. She visibly relaxes, apparently satisfied with my answer. But I am not being entirely truthful. I did think about running.

“Actually, I have something to say. But perhaps we can discuss it while continuing our journey. I am still in a hurry.” She nods, and I release the wisp from my bag. It bolts into the forest, and we follow at a quick pace.

“So, you were going to say?” Regina says, looking at me expectantly. I breathe in and out through my mouth slowly. Hoping she does not take this the wrong way.

“I, well, I-” 

“You can say whatever you need to say dear.” My eyes evade hers, though I know she is looking at me. 

I sigh. “I heard you talking to someone last night. But I know there was no one to talk to.”

“Merida, I-” Regina starts, but I stop her.

“It doesn’t matter. I realise you have demons inside you, demons you cannot rid yourself of. And that does scare me. If you have voices inside your head, that means you are unpredictable. I don’t like unpredictable. I did think about running. But you said some things last night that really touched me. You are right. I am young. I knew I was too young to get married, I was too young when I had to save my family from a curse, and I was too young when my father died. And now, I am Queen and my brothers have been taken from me.” I can feel tears forming in my eyes.

“The other clan leaders do not believe a woman can rule the Highlands. They think I should be left to one of them. One of them, while my father was the one to save them all. I carry his line, his blood! I am just as strong as him, if not stronger. I just don’t understand why other people can’t see that.” My voice sounds desperate. I am letting a lot of anger go right now, which I did not mean to. I don’t even know this woman, and yet I am trusting her with my feelings.

“I understand how you feel. I really do. Let me tell you a story, will you? It might comfort you to know you are not alone.” Regina places her hand on my shoulder, and I nod. 

“I was born a lady. I learned etiquette from the day I could walk, my mother trained me to be the perfect woman. She had high hopes for me, wanting me to marry a prince or king. But I fell in love with a stable boy. I wanted to be free, to be who I was meant to be, without anyone telling who I can or cannot be. I tried to run away with my love, but my mother prevented it. I was forced to marry a man I did not love, to live a life I did not want. And I became bitter because of it. I did a lot of things I am not proud of, I ended up in a different land because of it. But when I was in this land, I decided it was time for me to decide something. I adopted a little boy, and raising him has been the best thing I have ever done. I have made peace with people I hated, I found love, and even though I am now here, I know there are people who will help me. Merida, if you want to show everyone what you are capable of, you don’t need to try to please anyone. You need to make a decision, to make the decision to save your brothers no matter what. Show them they cannot force you to do something you don’t want to do. You decide your fate, not anyone else.” I chuckle. She does not know that line means a lot to me, and yet she says it in a way I have not heard it before.

“Thank you,” I whisper. Regina suddenly takes me in her arms, holding me tight. I relax into her embrace, thankful for the warmth. 

-

“I spy with my little eye, something, mmm, purple.”

“Those berries?”

“Those are blue.”

“Such a perfectionist. Fine, that flower?” 

“Yes, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Merida gives me a sideways glance. I learned her the kids game a little while ago to bide the time. Henry loved this game, he cried out with laughter when I used to pretend I did know what he picked. I can tell Merida is getting fed up with it. It is midday judging by the stance of the sun, the heat and endless forest getting on both of our nerves. 

Maybe you should share another sentimental story? I mean, what’s wrong with telling a stranger such things? Nimue sneers at me. I roll my eyes.

“Hey, I saw that! I really thought you meant the berries.”

“No, I wasn’t doing it at you,” I assure her.

“Ah. So, one of the voices huh?” Nimue stares at me with a piercing gaze, warning me. I have been able to keep the subject of my mental state from our conversation, but the efforts are tiring me. I bite my lip, shooting an apologetic glance towards Nimue. She throws her hands in the air, disappearing while mumbling some unkind words.

“Yes. There is really only one though. And she is quite adept at prying at my feelings.” 

“It’s a her? What is her name? Does she have one?”

“Yes, it’s-” I become quiet. I heard … I could have sworn I heard something. Then I can feel eyes watching us. It feels different from the figures.

“Regina, what-” 

“Get behind me. Now.” Merida moves towards me, and I position myself in front of her, reaching my arms behind me, to make sure she stays close. I wait, my eyes darting around, scanning the woods around us. A bush moves to my left, and before I know it, something bursts out of it. Not something, someone. She comes to a halt in a blur of blonde curls and red leather. I gasp, tears forming in my eyes. Her green eyes meet my brown ones.

“Regina?” The sound of her voice breaks me, and I take a step towards her.

“Emma?”


End file.
